Oil well oil saver



J. P. SPARR Jan. 2, 1940,

OIL WELL OIL SAVER Filed Sept. 29, 1938 :5 She ets-Sheet 1 RFQ Jan. 2; 1940. J. P. SPARR 01L WELL 011. SAVER Filed Sept. 29, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 men;

Patented Jan. 2, 1940 U T D STATES PA NT- o-FF 01L WELL OIL SAVER I John Preston Sparr, Wink, Tex; Application September 29,1938, Serial No 232,426

6 Claims.

This invention relates to an oil saver. for use in connection with oil wells being drilled and particularly adapted for co-action with a control head at the top of the well and through -5. which the'drilling line or cable operates.

It is particularly aimed to provide a novel construction which maybe more expeditiously and efliciently operated and which is devoid of bolts to secure the parts thereof in place and;

which preferably uses on-the contrary, pins or wedge members which apply' a compressive action, bringing the two halves together.

It is further aimed to provide the improve-,-

ments of a construction adapted for seating engagement with the control head and to be clamped thereto, in combination with'means operable to release-the clamping means automatically under control of. a socket or abutment on the drill line.

The more specific objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the description following taken in connection with accompanying drawings illustrating an operative embodiment. l y

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in elevation showing my improvements applied to a control head;

Figure 2 is an elevation of the parts of Figure 1 taken at a right angle thereto;

Figure 3 is a central vertical sectional view through the oil saver;

Figure 4 is an elevation looking toward the inner face 'of one of the sections of the oil saver; "Figure 5 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 3; 1

Figure 6 is across sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 3, and

Figure 7 is an enlarged side elevation, fragmentarily showing the 'parts adapted for engagement to automatically release the oil saver.

Referring specifically to the drawings wherein like reference characters designate like or similar parts, Ii! designates a conventional control P head such as is attached at the top of oil well casings, during the drilling of the oil well and through which control head the drilling cable H is vertically operated during the drilling of a well. Said control head H) has an upward 50 extension 12 which is centrally open and has a horizontal ledge at i3 and a concave seat at M.

The oil saver is preferably made of two similar metallic sections 15 which meet separably along flat surfaces l6 and surround the drill line H. -At such flat surfaces, rubber, leather or other packing strips grooves 18. Said sections 15 have spaced apart lugs i9 extending from one-side thereof and spaced apart -'lugs extending from the "other side thereof, the latter lugs terminating in projections 2 H, extending through the spaces-between the lugs 19, and beyond the same having openings 22, through which fastening pins 23 are driven, the latter preferably being round and tapered so that the gaskets H, which project beyond the surfaces It, will be placed under compression. At the other side, the body sections it are-open, having recesses as at 24, the same being vertically elongated and accommodating packing strips 25- usually of rubber, which intimately engage and fit the drill line or cable It, so as to wipe oil therefrom as the latter moves during cper-R ation, thus preventing the oilfrom'reaching the exterior of the well. Follower plates 26 are disposed against the outer walls of. the packing 25 and are engaged by screws 2i operable in removable plates 28 closing, the recesses 2 with rubber orqother gaskets 23- interposed). Said plates 28 are positioned by lugs 38) on the'sections l5 and by tapered pins 3| passing through openings in said lugs and. bearing. against the outer surfaces'of the plates 28L Cotters are passed through openingsin the pins ti'toprevent accidental withdrawal thereof. For the same purpose, cotters 33 are used in the pins or keys 23.

Recesses 34 are provided interiorly of the sections I5 and therein are mounted packing strips preferably ofrubber as at 35' against which are disposed metallic follower' members 36 engaged by screws 3'! threaded in the adjacent outer walls- 38 on the sections.

or gaskets ii are disposed in Said'sections adjacent their lower ends have shoulders 39 and below the same are constricted and exteriorly' surrounded by rubber or other gaskets 4D. The sections when connected together are adapted to bedisposed with the'gas kets 40 in engagement with the wall M and with removable bolts 43, such pulleys being peripheral ably the main section 48 thereof.

devices may be of any suitable construction, preferably having hooks 46 pivotally connected to a main section 48 at 41 and also having hooks 49 at the lower ends adjustably connected by turnbuckles 50 to the main section 48.

Wire or other endless cables 5! surround the lower half of the control head Ill as'best shown in Fig. 2, being formed into eyelet members or loops at 52 which are detachably engaged by the hooks 49. To prevent separation or detach ment of the cable 5!, a wire cable bridle or the like 53 extends across the top of the control head I0 and is connected to the eyelets or loops 52.

An upwardly movable rod or trip member 56 is slidably mounted diagonally at the lower portion of one of the sections l5, having a coupling 55 attached at its top and preventing downward displacement thereof. Such coupling mounts an arm 56 which is normally engaged under a hook 57 on the adjacent hold-down device 45, prefer- Arm 55 is removably mounted in a holder member 53 on the coupling 55, by means of a nut 59 threaded thereto, so that when automatic operation is not desired, the arm or arms may be removed.

The rod or trip member 54 is disposed in the path of upward movement of a coupling or other abutment Ell used on the drill cable ll.

It will be realized that asthe drill cable operates, the rubbers or packing members 25 and 35, intimately engaging the drill cable, will wipe oil therefrom and prevent its passage along the cable to the exterior of the well, and consequent wastage thereof. The different rods and keys as at 23 and 3|, enable much more rapid and easier operation than bolts. They provide a tighter joint and place the gaskets l'l under compression. Should the drill line be placed under undue strain or move upwardly, rather than breaking through contact of the line as at a coupling 68 with a part of the oil saver, the coupling 60 will contact the pin 54, sliding it upwardly and accordingly raising the rod 56 and sections 48 and hooks 41, detaching the latter from the projections 4|, whereby the sections l5 are released and the strain relieved. Thus danger of breakage .of the parts is minimized and also the danger of the dropping of tools when the line is broken.

Various changes may be resorted to provided they fall within the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination with a control head and drill line operabletherethrough, an oil saver surrounding the drill line and seated on the control head, hold-down means exteriorly of the control head connected to the control head and detachably connected to the oil saver, and means operable automatically through movement of the control line to disengage said hold-down means from the oil saver.

2. In combination with a control head and drill line operable therethrough, an oil saver surrounding the drill line and seated on the control head, means exteriorly of the control head to secure the oil saver to said head, and means operable automatically through movement of the line to ing the drill line and seated on the control head,

hold-down means exteriorly of the control head to secure the oil saver to said head having detachable engagement with the oil saver, and cable means surrounding the control head engaged by the last mentioned means, a slide mounted by the control head extending into the interior of the latter for engagement by the drill line, and means operable by the latter to detach said holddown means from the oil saver.

5. An oil saver of the class described comprising sections, line-engaging packing members housed in the sections, means detachably connecting the sections together, said packing members being elongated strips, the sections'having openings for insertion of the strips, plates covering the openings, follower means for the strips operable through the plates, line-engaging packing members below the first mentioned packing members, follower means mounted in walls of the sections operable against the second mentioned strips, interengaging lugs on the sections, packing elements between the sections and between the plates and sections, keys passing through the lugs fastening the sections and plates together and compressing said packing elements, loops on the sections, line-guiding cable rollers mounted by the loops, projections on the loops, said sections having shoulders at their lower ends, gaskets surrounding the sections below the shoulders for engagement with a seat on a control head, holddown means exteriorly of the oil saver detachably engaging said projections and adapted for engagement with the control head, an angularly disposed element slidable through the lower portion of one of the sections to contact with a drill line, and an arm detachably connected to the slidable element exteriorly of the oil saver and engageable with the hold-down means to detach the latter from said projections.

6. In combination with a control head and drill line operable therethrough, an oil saver surrounding the drill line and seated on the control head, an element slidably mounted at .an angle to the lower portion of the oil saver so as to be interior-- ly and exteriorly of the control head, said member being operable through engagement of the drill line there-with, hold-down means on the .exte'rior of the oil saver. detachably engaging the latter and engaging the control head, and an arm removably applicable to the said member exteriorly of the control head to abut the hold-down means in order to release the same from the oil saver when said member is operated by the drill line.

JOHN P. SPARR. 

